Associate Director of Financial Strategy (Relocation Assistance Avail)

Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

Cambridge, MA, USA

Published: 6/14/2022

Education

Full Time

Job Description

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES

The Associate Director of Financial Strategy will play a key leadership role in shaping and executing the financial vision of the organization. This position is responsible for long-range financial planning, capital allocation, financial modeling, and scenario analysis to support strategic decision-making. The Associate Director will work closely with senior leadership to ensure financial sustainability, maximize mission impact, and strengthen the organization’s capacity to support high-impact biomedical research. An analyst position will report to the Associate Director.

Success in this role requires exceptional interpersonal skills and the ability to build strong partnerships across departments. The Associate Director must collaborate effectively with both financial and non-financial stakeholders to ensure a shared understanding of financial drivers and implications. The ideal candidate will be committed to delivering insightful, consistent, and error-free data, along with clear explanations of trends, causes of variances, and emerging issues.

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES

Strategic Financial Planning

Lead multi-year financial planning aligned with the organization’s mission, research priorities, and growth objectives.
Develop financial strategies to support major initiatives (e.g., capital projects, endowment growth, research programs).
Build financial models and projections to evaluate new programs, partnerships, or funding strategies.

Budgeting and Forecasting

Oversee annual and long-term budgeting processes in coordination with administrative department heads, core scientific facility directors, and Research Finance.
Analyze variances, identify trends, and recommend course corrections.
Provide guidance on the allocation of unrestricted vs. restricted funds.

Research Funding

Partner with Research Finance to ensure optimal financial management of restricted research funding and Institute support.
Evaluate the financial impact of new grant proposals, consortia, and collaborative research initiatives.

Capital and Investment Strategy

Support management of the organization’s endowment, reserves, and investments in collaboration with the CFO and Investment Committee.
Provide analytical support for infrastructure investment decisions, such as lab expansions or facility upgrades.
Help develop and execute capital funding strategies
Manage the Institute’s debt portfolio

Management

Manage a financial analyst position.
As manager, direct and oversee the work performed by the analyst, provide mentoring and support to the role, and evaluate performance.

Executive and Board Engagement

Prepare financial strategy updates, dashboards, and presentations for executive leadership and the Board of Directors.
Serve as a key liaison to the Finance Committee.

Cross-Functional Leadership

Collaborate with Institutional Advancement, Research Finance, the Office of Sponsored Programs, and Facilities to align financial strategy with organizational priorities.
Mentor and support finance team members, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field; MBA, advanced degree in finance, or CPA strongly preferred.
Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in financial planning, analysis, and strategic finance; experience working in the nonprofit or higher education sectors strongly preferred.
Deep understanding of nonprofit finance, including fund accounting, grants, and endowment management.
Exceptional analytical skills with expertise in financial modeling and scenario planning.
Demonstrated success influencing strategic decisions and communicating complex financial concepts to non-financial stakeholders.
Strong project management skills required.
Experience managing staff in financial and analytic positions.
Proficient in financial systems, dashboards, and tools (e.g., Workday, Adaptive Planning, Power BI, Excel, or similar).
Mission-driven with a passion for advancing science and public health.

Company DescriptionWHITEHEAD INSTITUTE for BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research is a leading, nonprofit research and educational institution that has defined the cutting edge of biomedical science, creating a legacy of research excellence and academic eminence since 1982. Wholly independent in its governance, finances and research programs, Whitehead shares a teaching affiliation with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), offering the intellectual, collegial and scientific benefits of a leading research university. Whitehead’s Faculty Members and Fellows run pioneering programs in cancer research, immunology, developmental biology, stem cell research, regenerative medicine, genetics and genomics—programs with a record of success.

We offer excellent benefits including a choice of health insurance options; a generous retirement plan; comprehensive dental, disability and life insurance coverage; competitive salary, substantial vacation and holiday time; and programs for tuition reimbursement, dependent care assistance, pre-tax spending accounts, and subsidized public transportation or parking. We also offer relocation assistance.

The Whitehead Institute believes diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are integral to its values and mission. As a research Institute dedicated to improving human health through biomedical science, we believe that diverse thought invokes creative inquiry, drives innovation, and fuels scientific breakthrough. We welcome all individuals of all backgrounds including race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, veterans status, national origin, disability, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status and/or origin. Whitehead Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Company Description

WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE for BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH\r\nWhitehead Institute for Biomedical Research is a leading, nonprofit research and educational institution that has defined the cutting edge of biomedical science, creating a legacy of research excellence and academic eminence since 1982. Wholly independent in its governance, finances and research programs, Whitehead shares a teaching affiliation with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), offering the intellectual, collegial and scientific benefits of a leading research university. Whitehead’s Faculty Members and Fellows run pioneering programs in cancer research, immunology, developmental biology, stem cell research, regenerative medicine, genetics and genomics—programs with a record of success. \r\n\r\nWe offer excellent benefits including a choice of health insurance options; a generous retirement plan; comprehensive dental, disability and life insurance coverage; competitive salary, substantial vacation and holiday time; and programs for tuition reimbursement, dependent care assistance, pre-tax spending accounts, and subsidized public transportation or parking. We also offer relocation assistance.\r\n\r\nThe Whitehead Institute believes diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are integral to its values and mission. As a research Institute dedicated to improving human health through biomedical science, we believe that diverse thought invokes creative inquiry, drives innovation, and fuels scientific breakthrough. We welcome all individuals of all backgrounds including race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, veterans status, national origin, disability, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status and/or origin. Whitehead Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.